THE VIEW FROM RIZAL
Tomorrow, Sept. 14, several government and private sector organizations will gather in Antipolo City to celebrate the success of a partnership.
The officials of the provincial government of Rizal, the city government of Antipolo, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, and private sector partner Manila Water will mark another milestone in their shared effort to restore what is perhaps one of the most famous tourism landmarks in the country.
For the thousands of Filipinos and foreigners who visit Antipolo, especially in summer, Hinulugang Taktak is their second destination, the first being the famous international shrine of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage – the Antipolo Cathedral.
Hinulugang Taktak carries a lot of memories for legions of Filipino families. This 70-foot-high waterfall is “tiny” compared to the other popular waterfalls in the country, such as Maria Cristina in Northern Mindanao (321 feet), or Pagsanjan Falls in Laguna (390 feet). Despite this, it is so famous that at one time – in the early 2000s – it was recognized as the country’s second most popular national park in the entire country.
Its fame did not start in the 2000s. It appears it had already attracted throngs of visitors as early as the 1920s. It was so famous that Filipino composer German San Jose aka Gerry Brandy immortalized it in his song “Tayo Na sa Antipolo,” which was sung by the renowned group Mabuhay Singers.
In his composition, Gerry Brandy referred to Hinulugang Taktak as “batis.” This translates into English as “brook” or “stream.” Gerry’s description may have been an appropriate one, given the relatively small land area occupied by the body of water into which Hinulugang Taktak empties.
The tiny fall’s water comes from five of the 16 barangays of the city. What we were told by our elders in Antipolo is that, until the 1960s, the waters of Hinulugang Taktak were so clean that people bathed in it and folks washed their laundry there. Thousands of visitors and excursionists picnicked in its banks. It was perhaps one of the most iconic, most “Instagrammable” tourist spots in our country until the mid-60s.
Since then, the quality of the water from the falls and the brook became noticeably polluted, and, with the passage of time, became unfit for swimming. The risk of losing a national treasure gained widespread recognition. Concerned citizens, government agencies, and then-Rizal Governor Ito Ynares took aggressive moves to save the falls and the brook. Former President Joseph Estrada made a timely move to have the area declared a “protected landscape” through a proclamation. Former Governor Nini Ynares intensified the effort to get all sectors involved in the restoration project and clean-up of the area.
The sustained public-private sector collaboration paid off. There was one more initiative needed to bring the falls and the brook closer to their original state: making sure that the headwaters that find their way into the falls are clean.
This is where the Manila Water Company stepped in.
In 2018, Manila Water signed a partnership covenant with the province of Rizal and several local governments under the latter. The partnership was for a joint advocacy for the protection of the province’s natural resources and environment.
The first project under this partnership was the construction of a sewage treatment plant (STP) for Hinulugang Taktak.
Under this project, Manila Water commenced the construction of an STP with a 16-million-liter-per-day (MLD) capacity. The plant, which costs some ₱2.5 billion, includes a four-kilometer combined sewer network benefiting some 160,000 residents of the city.
The latest report is that completion of the Hinulugang Taktak STP has gone beyond the 50 percent mark. As soon as the facility becomes operational, waste water falling into a catchment area near the falls will undergo a treatment process before it is discharged on its way to Hinulugang Taktak.
The water treatment process includes the removal and dissolution of solid wastes, particles, and toxic chemicals. It will also involve the process of filtration which will eliminate odor, as well as disinfection where viruses, bacteria, and parasites are killed. We hope that these processes of modern technology will be effective in the effort to bring the waters of Hinulugang Taktak back to their pristine state.
During tomorrow’s affair, the participating public and private sector entities will celebrate the success of another collaborative effort.
The event will serve as a reminder that the restoration and protection of our natural resources is not the job of one entity alone. It is a responsibility that falls on the shoulders of everyone.
(For feedback, please email it to [email protected] or send it to Block 6 Lot 10 Sta. Barbara 1 cor. Bradley St., Mission Hills Subd., Brgy. San Roque, Antipolo City, Rizal.)